ain of thought. From what
Percy tells me, his sister must have influenced Theodora far more than I
thought possible. To her he ascribes her religious tone. If he is right,
my mistake in neglecting her has been worse than I supposed.'

'Then this is all the better! Do you remember saying you despaired of a
Petruchio?'

'It is on the Petruchio principle that he takes her, and avowedly. None
but Katharina was ever so wooed or so won!'

'That is very much to her honour.'

'If she realizes his being in earnest. She would make one doubt whether
she has any earnest. Yesterday evening she so treated, the subject that
I was on the point of saying, "Reply not to me with a fool-born jest."
And how do you think she answered my father, when he asked her if she
knew what she undertook? As my namesake said, "I shall wash all day and
ride out on the great dog at night."

'Was not that a sort of shyness?'

'I would fain hope so. If I had ever seen anything like deep earnest
feeling I should be satisfied. Yet Percy declares, I trust he may be
right, that she has the very strongest affections, and much tenderness
of character. He says her nature came straight from the tropics, and
must not be judged by sober English rules.'

'If you had seen her distress about the child at the lodge!'

'Ah! he said those tears settled the matter, and showed him that she
had the woman's heart as well as the candour that would conquer her
waywardness. It sounds a little too like a lover's self-justification.'

'Do you think so?' said Violet. 'You do not know what she is with the
dumb boy, and with Johnnie.'

'I was just going to have instanced her neglect of Johnnie.'

'I assure you,' cried Violet, eagerly, 'that is only because she does
not like me. You cannot think how fond she is of him. When I am out
of the way she goes to the nursery and pets him till Sarah is almost
jealous of his fondness for her.'

'I have no patience with her,' exclaimed John.

'I thought you would have been glad.'

'I do not like Percy to make a mistake, and get his feelings trifled
with. He deserves a wife like himself.'

'Did you hear of Arthur's advice to him?'

'To kill the cat on the wedding-day. That might answer if it were to be
at once; but it is a cat with nine lives, and I do not think she will
bear to have it killed before the wedding-day.'

'Then it is not to be soon?'

'No, my father thinks her not fit for a poor man's wife, and cannot give
her